


Blind

by rottnrotty



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Magnus is a good boyfriend, Malec, POV Alec Lightwood, POV Magnus Bane, Protective Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-02 09:06:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10214174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rottnrotty/pseuds/rottnrotty
Summary: I loved how self-confident Alec was about his relationship with Magnus in episode 2x08.  I was smiling and screaming at the tv for the entire conversation between Alec and Maryse.  But it made me think, what made Alec so darn assertive?  What if he overheard a private conversation?I also love this gif, it was an inspiration for this story.pinterest.com/pin/819514463413460540/





	

Magnus sat slumped at his kitchen table, his head between his hands.  He had been there for quite some time, and the coldness of the ebony wood was starting to seep in through his skin and move to his very bones.  After an unorthodox and rocky start, his relationship with Alec Lightwood had finally seemed to be on the right track.  Things were good.  He was happy.  And then the mail had come.

Normally the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute communicated with him by fire message, or just a plain old text or phone call.  As soon as Magnus saw the bright white envelope, with Maryse Lightwood's name in the top left corner, his heart dropped.  There was no way that this letter contained a simple request for magical help.  It was going to be about Alexander.

 

**Warlock Bane,**

Your presence is required at the New York Institute, in the office of Robert Lightwood, on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. Do not be late.  Dress appropriately.

**Maryse Lightwood**

 

The note was enough to upset Magnus quite thoroughly.  For one, Magnus was not a morning person.  He liked to think of himself as exceedingly charming and witty, however, the level of his charm increased dramatically as the day went on.  Secondly, Maryse Lightwood and Magnus had a past.  Not an unsavoury, scandalous past.  More like a distasteful, "I hate you and everything you stand for" kind of past.  Also, Magnus was the god damn High Warlock of Brooklyn.  If Maryse was unwilling to actually use her son's boyfriend's name in her letter, she could at least use his proper and impressive title. And lastly, what the hell did "dress appropriately" mean?  Magnus always dressed with the upmost care and style.  There was no way that this meeting was going to be anything but supremely awkward.

But the note itself was not what was making Magnus cold to his core.  It was the three little words at the end of the letter that turned the blood in his veins to ice water:

**P.S. Don't tell Alec**

 

It was currently Friday evening, so thankfully he only had to suffer through two days before the wretched meeting with his boyfriend's mother.  On the other hand, Maryse had now totally ruined his weekend.  It wasn't like Magnus had much planned.  Alexander was away with Jace in Idris until Monday, so Magnus had organized a small dinner party on Saturday with some of his oldest friends.  That was obviously out the window now, there was no way he could be a delightful host in this frame of mind.

 Maryse had planned the timing of this meeting with great care.  There was little chance of him informing Alec of his mother's request, as Idris had no phone or cell service.  It was just the thought of being asked to deliberately keep something from Alexander - by his own mother - that upset Magnus so much.  He was making no promises to Maryse Lightwood, and if he felt the need to let his boyfriend know about the meeting after the fact, he certainly would.

 

The weekend passed quickly for Magnus.  Although he did little more than watch tv and cuddle with Chairman Meow, time still seemed to race by.  When the alarm went off with a blaring siren sound at 6:30 on Monday morning, Magnus just moaned into his pillow and snapped his fingers to shut it off.  Five minutes later, all the lights in the loft starting blazing with unnaturally bright light.  Magnus snapped his fingers a second time, but this only caused the lights to pulse like a night club, and the wailing of the alarm to sound again.  It wasn't until Magnus finally dragged himself out of the bed, and his feet touched the floor, that his magical alarm system turned off.  

Magnus took his usual care with his hair, makeup, and outfit that morning.  Maryse could shove "dress appropriately" right up her rear end.  Did she not realize that her son dressed like a hobo most of the time?  Huffing under his breath, Magnus dressed quickly in a pair of very form fitting grey slacks, topped with a white button down shirt and waistcoat the exact colour of Alexander's eyes.  He also wore the arrow necklace that reminded him of his archer boyfriend, and slipped the Omamori Alec had given him into his pocket.  He could certainly use a good dose of luck and protection today.

It was 7:55 when Magnus portalled to the outskirts of the New York Institute.  He was quite pleased with his timing and efficiency.  Raj was waiting for him at the front door, and Magnus could tell that he was still not over their last encounter when Alec was dying.  Rolling his eyes internally, Magnus followed Raj into the institute without a word.  At the door the Robert's office, Raj cracked a huge smile and drawled "good luck Downworlder" before swaggering away.  Magnus could not control himself this time, and let go with a full on eye roll, before opening the door and entering the office.

Maryse sat behind the large oak desk, scribbling something on a notepad.  Without even looking up, she barked "it would have been polite to knock." Magnus was having none of her crap today.  "Yes," he said with a small smile on his face, "it would also be polite to acknowledge your guest when they enter the room, and offer them a chair.  Perhaps it is too early for such niceties."  Maybe not the best way to start a meeting with his boyfriend's mother, but Maryse's grimace of irritation improved Magnus' mood significantly. Without waiting for an invitation, Magnus swept himself gracefully into an uncomfortable wooden chair, leaned back, and propped his feet up onto the desk.  "So Maryse, to what do I owe the pleasure of this delightful summons?"

 

* * *

 

Alec was exhausted. He was currently dragging his bone weary body through the halls of the New York Institute, dreaming about falling into his bed and sleeping for hours.

As usual, Jace was responsible for his current unfortunate state.  They were not even scheduled to leave Idris until 10:00 a.m. on Monday.  That all changed when Jace had heard about a bonfire party being held by some local teenage Shadowhunters on the outskirts of Alicante on Sunday night. Sufficed to say, the mixture of unhappy Jace, fairy drinks, and pretty teenage girls was not a good one. Alec had lost track of his parabati sometime after two in the morning. After putting up a valiant search, and then standing around awkwardly watching teenagers necking, hoping Jace would find him, Alec decided to go back to their host's house at about 4:00 a.m.

It felt like Alec had just fallen asleep, when he was startled awake by high pitched screaming. From what he could tell, the pretty blonde teenage girl of the house was not in her room, and it appeared she had not been there all night. Alec looked over to Jace's bed, ready to wake his brother for the search.  But of fucking course, Jace wasn't there either.  Long story short, Alec coughed up the location of the party, Jace and their host's daughter were located in a semi-compromising position, and the brothers found themselves being shoved through a portal to New York two hours ahead of schedule.  Just wait until their mother heard about this.

Alec had lived in the Institute for almost his entire life, which was why he was able to navigate the halls so effortlessly, even in his current condition.  Just as he was passing his father's office, he heard something that made him think he was dreaming on his feet.  It sounded like the smooth and sultry voice of his boyfriend, Magnus Bane, smirking out the words "so Maryse, to what do I owe the pleasure of this delightful summons?"  The answer his mother hissed back brought him fully awake, and rooted him to the spot.  "You know damn well why I wanted to speak with you.  This is about Alec."  

 

* * *

 

"Of course it's about Alexander."  Magnus felt a small sense of pride at the slight wince Maryse gave when he used her son's full name.  He was not going to give this woman one inch.  Magnus leaned back further in his chair, and awaited Maryse's next words.

He was left waiting a while.  It seemed like Maryse was having trouble formulating her thoughts.  Finally she looked Magnus straight in the eyes, and quietly asked "why?  Why are you doing this to my family?  Why are you with Alec?"

Magnus was stunned.  Did this woman actually think he was some lecherous creep, leading Alexander on to get revenge on the Lightwood family?  He had thought Maryse was disgusted by her son being with a Downworlder, and a male one at that, but he never in his wild dreams imagined that she thought this poorly of him.

He answered her in a much more soothing tone than was deserved.  "Maryse, I truly care for your son.  I thought you knew that."

It was clear by the look on the woman's face that no, she hadn't known, and further more, she didn't believe it in the slightest.  "How can you?" she snarled.  "You barely know him.  I know that you are plotting something, Downworlder, and don't think I'm not going to get to the bottom of it."

Magnus was so tempted to get up and leave.  Just walk out of the Institute and never look back. But he could feel a crushing sense of anger welling up inside him, keeping him rooted to the chair.  He was furious on Alec's behalf that his own mother could not see why Magnus might care for him.  He felt an overwhelming desire to show Maryse how utterly special her son really was.

"Well Maryse, it is true that I have not been acquainted with Alexander long, or know him particularly well, but I can still see what an amazing man your son is.  The first time I met him, he saved my life.  Twice!  He actually chose to save a Downworlder at the expense of Shadowhunter lives."  Magnus felt quite nostalgic and passionate about his archer boy at the end of his short speech, but the good feelings did not last very long.

"Yes, very admirable," Maryse bit out.  "Then you should have both moved on with your lives.  So why didn't you?"

Magnus thought back to the night at his loft, where Alec had helped him save the life of yet another Downworlder, and they had ended up having cocktails and talking.  Probably due to exhaustion, Magnus had laid his vulnerabilities on the line.  He told Alexander how he felt; that the boy had unlocked something in him, that he made him feel alive again.  Alec had looked at him through those thick lashes, a mixture of intrigue, joy, and bewilderment in his eyes, and stuttered his way into Magnus' heart.  It was obvious that Alec was very confused, and had little experience with relationships.  Magnus knew he would have to be the one doing the pursuing, and it would need to be done slowly.

But Maryse Lightwood did not deserve any of these wonderful memories.  Instead, to answer her question, Magnus simply said "you have a son who is kind, compassionate, and protective.  He is an incredible leader, and yet is willing to take orders when nessessary.  He is devoted to a fault to his family.  He is smart, witty, and sarcastic.  He is dedicated and loyal.  He is selfless, while still being independent and strong.  He is thoughtful and intuitive. And he is damn easy on the eyes.  Who wouldn't want him?"  

That was an amazing little speech, if Magnus did say so himself.  Even Maryse could not undermine the sentiment behind it.  Right?

Wrong. Maryse pounced straight away.  "If Alec is so devoted to his family, how could he let Robert and I down like this?  If he is so dedicated and loyal, why did he not fulfill his duty and marry the Branwell girl?" 

Maryse's were blazing, leaving Magnus squirming uncomfortably in his seat. He had thought he had the upper hand, but now saw just how badly he has misjudged the situation.  It wasn't just that his boyfriend's mother thought Magnus was unsuitable, she also doubted her own son's charms and abilities.  A great wave of sorrow washed over Magnus, and he dropped his feet from the desk to the floor. He felt exceedingly uncomfortable to be talking about Alexander in such a way.

"Maryse", he said gently, "those are questions you have to ask you son."

"Well I can't", she replied bitterly.  "He won't take us seriously. He just keeps chattering about how he had know he was gay", her mouth twisted into a horrible grimace while saying the word, "for a long time, and that you saved his life by walking into that wedding. It's sickening."  Maryse was flushed and practically panting by the end of her tirade.

So many emotions were swirling through Magnus, it was hard to concentrate. He felt fury, sadness, pity, confusion, and fear.  He decided to grab onto pity, as it was the least likely to get him into trouble.

"Alexander is a wonderful person.  His sexuality doesn't define his character. Can you really not see his positive attributes past his romantic preferences?"  Magnus was practically pleading at this point. How could this woman, this mother, not recognize how valuable her son was?

"It's just so embarrassing," was the only reply he received.  Of course, Shadowhunters cared more about keeping up appearances than the happiness of their offspring.  It made him sick to his stomach.

There was a long silence, and Magnus knew he would not be the one to break it.  Finally, Maryse regained her self control, and started speaking. "I understand the attraction you hold for Alec.  You are obviously experienced, and you no doubt hunted him enough to make him feel special.  You are presumably attractive, in your own way.  And Alec is confused about himself right now.  But what makes you want to be with Alec?  Why would the High Warlock of Brooklyn be interested in a confused young Shadowhunter?  He is most likely just experimenting.  I'm assuming he is merely another notch on your extremely scarred headboard, or that the thrill of debauching my firstborn son is so exciting you can't help yourself.  But please, enlighten me."

The magic inside of Magnus was threatening to boil right out of his skin. Was this woman serious?  He had already recounted many of Alec's wonderful qualities.  What more did she want?  He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again when he realized this was a fight he was never going to win.  Pushing his temper down, he retorted "Maryse, I feel like we are going around in circles.  I have listed a small few of your son's positive characteristics, and don't feel like taking the time to go into any more detail on how genuinely wonderful I think he is.  As far as I can see, this meeting is over.  Before I leave, I have one final thing to say.  Alexander is an adult, and while he doesn't need his parents to accept his choice, I'm sure he would like it if you did.  You have become blind.  You are literally blinded by your own ignorance. If you can't see that your son is an amazing young man, than I feel very sorry for you.  You are missing out on knowing someone who is truly special."

He did not expect a reply, and he didn't get one.  "I'll see myself out" he said after a slight hesitation.  With his head held high, he walked through the door of the office, briskly down the halls, and out the front doors of the Institute, never looking back.

 

Magnus had calmed down considerably once he returned to his loft.  A strong cup of coffee and Chairman Meow's purrs had helped a lot.  And truthfully, Magnus was not the type of person to let anger rule him.  If Maryse wanted to ruin her happiness with her ridiculous notions, that was her problem.  Magnus and Alec were in a good place in their relationship.  They were being open and honest with each other, which was bringing them closer together with each conversation.  They were starting to connect on a physical level too, which had increased the intimacy and confidence between them.

Looking at his watch, Magnus realized it was just past ten o'clock.  His archer boy should be home by now.  Warring emotions of excitement and trepidation bubbled up in Magnus' throat.  He was slightly worried that Maryse would tell Alec about their conversation, twist it in a way that would make Magnus look bad.  But just as quickly as the thought popped up, Magnus was able to disguard it.  Even if Maryse did try something that underhanded, Alexander would confront him first before believing it outright. They had come a long way.

With a smile on his face, Magnus grabbed his cell phone, anxious to send his boyfriend a text. He was shocked to see that he had seven missed text messages, all from "My Sexy Shadowhunter".  They started at 9:12, right around the time Magnus had left the institute.  It looked like he had just missed him.

 

**9:12 - Magnus, I'm home, and I can't wait to see you.**

**9:12 -  I realize** **it's early for you.  Please don't be too mad if I'm waking you up ;)**

**9:13- I know I said I was busy tonight, but I have cleared my schedule.  I hope you don't mind if I come over later.**

**9:15- I may be sleeping when you get these texts, I've had a long night and a very tiring morning, but I will talk to you as soon as I get up.**

**9:34 - I can't sleep, I just keep thinking of you, please text me as soon as you get my messages.**

**9:45 - Are you awake?  Are you home?**

**9:50 - I'm coming over. Be there in 20 mins.  If you are not home I will wait outside.**

 

The very second Magnus finished reading the texts, he heard a knock on the door.  He almost ran to it in his haste to see Alexander.  The Shadowhunter fell through the entry and into his arms, wrapping Magnus in the tightest, most loving hug that he could remember ever receiving.  They stayed like that for quite some time.  

Then Magnus felt a light breath at his ear, and Alexander whispered the words "you saved my life too," followed by, "I guess we saved each other."

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever fanfic.
> 
> Any mistakes are my own.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


End file.
